Srikandi and Hucklebuck have been the best-backed runners in 2014 Stradbroke Handicap betting markets following the barrier draw that was held on Wednesday, but Blencowe told RSN this morning that neither of the three-year-olds represent value at their current quotes.

“I think that the three-year-olds deserve to be favourites, but with the market the way that it is at the moment I find it pretty tough to find a place to dip my toe in,” Blencowe said.

“I think that the best way to play it would have been to get stuck into Hucklebuck last week at double figure odds because now I think that he has found his price and he is a bit under what I can get him to in a really competitive field.

“Srikandi is much the same; she is emerging, she is on an upwards spiral and three-year-old fillies have a good record in the race, but I can’t get her that short.”

Blencowe believes that talented sprinter Knoydart was the horse to watch coming out of the Doomben 10,000, after working home strongly from the tail of the field to finish fifth, and thinks that he is one of the best weighted horses in the 2014 Stradbroke Handicap field, but feels that his price has gotten too short in the past 24 hours, while he is happy to rule out Spirit Of Boom and classy mare Red Tracer because of their heavy weights.

“Knoydart is another one that profiles really well off the beaten run in the 10,000 and he is the weighted horse coming out of that race and he too has been popular in the last few days and he is getting inside his right price now,” Blencowe said.

“I am a bit of a pot of those up in the weights, like Spirit Of Boom and Red Tracer, and unless the race really fell apart they would have to be at their best or maybe even better to be winning with those weights and history is pretty well against them.”

Srikandi ($5) is currently a narrow favourite in the very open 2014 Stradbroke Handicap betting market at Ladbrokes Australia from Hucklebuck ($5.50), Spirit Of Boom ($7.50), Rebel Dane ($8.50), Knoydart ($9.50) and Red Tracer ($11).

Author: Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.